The NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was setting up to be a great race for Christopher Bell. The driver of the No. 20 rolled off third for the 267-lap race and totaled 17 stage points across the two stages.
However, power steering issues plagued the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. In what looked like a day where Bell could contend for his second win of the season, he wound up finishing 23rd and missed a major opportunity to gain ground on the championship lead.
With five Chase races remaining, Bell sits third in the points standings, 55 points behind leader Kyle Larson.
Christopher Bell on Difficult Las Vegas Race: ‘Done Thinking About It’
Earlier in the season, Bell suffered a fractured wrist after a violent crash at Michigan International Speedway that also involved Chase Elliott. Despite the injury, Bell did not miss a race.
Even with power steering issues, Bell told USA Network’s Kim Coon that his wrist was a non-factor during Sunday’s race.
“My wrist is fine. My hands are a little shaky and tingly. I’m gonna be OK,” Bell said.
There was obvious dejection in Bell’s face after missing out on gaining ground to championship contenders Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.
Larson and Hamlin both faced adversity in the South Point 400. After a 26-second pit stop on the first pit cycle of the race, Larson went a lap down and only recovered to score one stage point in Stage 2. However, the driver of the No. 5 managed to still finish second at day’s end.
Hamlin, meanwhile, spun out towards the end of Stage 1. The driver of the No. 11 suffered splitter damage that affected the performance of his car as he wound up finishing 16th.
Bell, despite scoring 17 stage points, lost four points to leader Larson after finishing 23rd.
“I think I’m done thinking about it. Just going to go out there and race. It’s disappointing to not be able to capitalize on a day like today when other guys had issues. The 5 (Larson) having that pit stop issue, losing some stage points. The 11 (Hamlin) had his issues, so it looked like it was an opportunity to make up some points and it didn’t happen,” Bell said.
Bell Focused on Winning ‘A Couple’ of Races Before Season’s End
With five races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, Bell is not out of contention by any means. Yet, Sunday’s South Point 400 was a huge opportunity missed for the Oklahoma native.
Despite the disappointment, Bell is aiming to get back on track starting next Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The plan for Bell is to race like he knows best and hopefully come out on the winning end.
“Just going to go out there and race. We got five more and try and win a couple,” Bell said.
Bell is seeking his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. He made the Championship 4 twice under the previous playoff format in 2022 and 2023 but was unsuccessful in his bid for the title.
About the Author
